SAGINAW, MI — Mark Schauer, a former state legislator and Democratic candidate for governor, stopped in Saginaw to rally his fellow Democrats on the road to the 2014 election.

During his speech to Saginaw County Democratic Party members at the group's fall banquet Friday, Oct. 4, Schauer focused on talking about why he would be better for Michigan than Gov. Rick Snyder.

"Let's consider this Day 1 in changing the direction of our state," he said. "I'm running for governor because Rick Snyder has taken Michigan in the wrong direction."

Schauer first addressed Michigan's economy, claiming the current governor's economic policies have failed and assuring his supporters that, as governor, he could do better. As evidence, he pointed to the fact that Michigan has the fourth-highest unemployment rate of any other state in the nation.

"If Rick Snyder thinks his economy is working, then his dashboard is broken," Schauer said. "Snyder's economy is not working for people in our state."

He promised, if elected, to work toward overturning Right to Work legislation and elimination of the state's new tax on pension income. He also criticized the business taxes cuts instituted under Snyder.

"I agree with him in supporting Obamacare and, in Michigan, the expansion of Medicare," he said. "He's right in thinking that that is the right thing to do for people who lack health care. It's also good for our economy."

Schauer said he also agrees with Snyder's push to fund transportation infrastructure improvements, though he criticized the governor's inability to make that idea a reality in the state Legislature.

When asked how he would stand on the erosion of state revenue sharing to local governments, Schauer said he would "be a partner" with local communities to ensure they have both policies and resources they need.

"When I was in the Legislature, I always supported revenue sharing for local communities," he said.

"Our top priority must be to have a skilled, talented workforce. But second to that, we must have quality, healthy, safe, vibrant communities. Gov. Snyder's revenue sharing cuts, it's resulted in fewer police officers on the beat, fewer firefighters and crumbling infrastructure. And it's making it tougher to attract business; it's making it tougher to keep businesses here, and it's making it tougher to attract talent and our young people back."

Snyder has made commitments to address public safety concerns all along the Interstate 75 corridor, in cities including Flint, Detroit, Saginaw and Pontiac. He has backed up those commitments with "boots on the ground," assigning state troopers to be dedicated to crime-fighting initiatives in those communities.

When asked if he would make the same commitments as governor, Schauer said he thinks about the solution to that problem differently than the current governor.

"Part of the problem with revenue sharing cuts has been fewer local police officers in our communities," he said. "We fundamentally need local police officers that are part of our local communities there. And I don't think there is any replacement for that."

Schauer, a native of Howell, was first elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1996 and represented the Battle Creek area's 62nd District until he was elected to the State Senate in 2002.

He ran for Congress in 2008, defeating former U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton. Two years later, Schauer was defeated by Walberg, who retook his congressional seat in 2010.